Birth Control: Apparently, Not a Choice Any More

I don’t care what anyone’s religious beliefs are. What I want to know is: Why should an employer be “morally outraged” by birth control to the point where they won’t let their insurance company offer it to an employee who wants birth control? Said employee obviously doesn’t have the same beliefs. It isn’t his or her soul at risk...... And, I really don’t think the employee’s “sin” would rub off (unless he or she is messing around with the employer, and that’s a whole ‘nother story).
So what seems to be going down here is (possible) Roman Catholic employer says NO to their insurance company offering artificial birth control. Apparently, even if the employee is NOT Roman Catholic, she will have to go outside of her health policy and pay 100% for any birth control, because her BOSS doesn’t believe in artificial birth control. Since when does an employer have the right to dictate what their employees’ beliefs are? Beyond that, if, for some reason, the employee ends up with an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy, it damned sure follows that if the insurance wasn’t going to pay to prevent a pregnancy it sure won’t pay to end one.

I wonder what the odds are that said employer will pay to raise, feed, clothe and educate the result? Hmmmm, probably nil.
Even in a so-so economy with high unemployment, I’ll bet that if these employers get their way, there will be a lot of people telling them to take the job and shove it if they can’t have standard healthcare included in their health insurance benefits.

Still Fighting for Rights

In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified and women were given the vote. Fifty years before that, in 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment was passed and ratified, making it legal for men of all races to vote.  In the 1950's and 1960's, the Civil Rights movement marched on. In the mid to late 1960's, there were protests all over this country against the war in Viet Nam.....

We have forgotten, apparently. Because it sure seems like we're heading in the wrong direction......

Dear Far, Far, Far Right-Wing Republicans

Dear GOP Senators and Representatives:

Keep your draconian morals and religion far, far, far away from my health care choices.

The very idea of allowing one person's religious beliefs (i.e., the "boss") to dictate what healthcare choices everyone else (the "employees") gets is ludicrous. But, that is exactly what you are talking about these days. I think its time to look at what you are doing and pretend that you are a sane and intelligent person. And if that doesn't work, how about you just listen to the thousands of people who are outraged by this lunacy.

These ideas you are propounding sound like you want to go back to a time in history when women were basically the property of their husbands and fathers. That idea really does not have a place today. It doesn't even bear thinking about. I am NOT someone's property. No one makes decisions regarding my healthcare but me and my doctor.

I have no idea where you got the idea that birth control is immoral, but you really need to give it up. The days of "breed early and often" are long past. The days of old men deciding what is right for young, vital women is in the past (or should be). It is time to embrace the real world and give up these lunatic ideas.

WEATHER TERMS IN THE UPPER MID-WEST

WEATHER TERMS IN THE UPPER MID-WEST


For those of you who are unfamiliar with what we have been up to in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes area, here's a list of weather terms to help you understand:

Winter: Any month beginning with a consonant or vowel

Summer: (1) Mythical season mentioned in ancient epic songs and poetry. Said to be experienced sometime between June and September. (2) Season that appears as the great Nile floods used to before construction of the Aswan Dam -- Every seven years. Not known if building a dam will force it to appear more often.

Rain: Liquid falling from the sky.

Freezing Rain: Liquid falling from the sky, freezing solid upon contact with any object, such as streets, sidewalks, trees and slow-moving people.

Hail: Large ice pellets or balls falling from the sky -- very dangerous. Said to fall during the mythical season of "Summer" as well as at other times of the year.

Sleet: Partially frozen liquid falling from the sky. As with 'Freezing Rain' will freeze completely upon contact with any objects, depending upon the temperature. Slightly warmer temperatures result in an even layer of what looks solid, but is in truth a large puddle made up of material similar to a Sno-Cone without the flavoring.

Frozen Rain: Similar to Freezing Rain, but more solid. It mostly freezes before hitting anything, and then continues the freezing process once it has landed.

Snow: Fluffy white ice crystals that fall from the sky, creating mounds of not-so-fluffy white stuff on the ground. Must be removed from walkways with hours and hours of manual labor. Often results in death, especially the death of the snowplow operator when he/she covers end of driveway five minutes after completing the original task. Forecasts for snow often mention a range of amounts; i.e., 6 to 12 inches, 7 to 14 inches, etc. Most popular range mentioned is 1 to 27.5 inches.

Light Snow: Generally refers to the color as once you have shoveled it for about 2 minutes, each individual flake weighs about 10 pounds.

Overcast: The entire sky above you is covered with grey clouds. If it is during the daylight hours, it is believed that the sun has gone south. Generally a prelude to any type of precipitation.

Partly sunny: More clouds than sun. Nearly 'overcast'. Generally a prelude to any type of precipitation.

Partly cloudy: More sun than clouds. But not by much. Generally a prelude to any type of precipitation.

Temperature: In winter this means "cold".

Wind-Chill Factor: Fancy term for "damn cold!"

Wind: Works with 'temperature' to create "damn cold!"

Clear and Sunny: Usually means too cold to go outside.

Winter Weather Advisory: Snow, rain, sleet and/or freezing rain with some wind that will commence in the near future.

Winter Weather Warning: Snow, rain, sleet and/or freezing rain currently falling with some wind that will get worse.
Blizzard: Snow so thick you can't see your hand in front of your face, always involves high winds. Occasionally, when this happens, they call off school, but rarely work. If this occurs while you are at work, plan to stay there for an extended amount of time -- with no pay..... If this happens while at home on a day when work is scheduled, it is best to do your best to come up with a valid excuse for not coming to work. ANY MENTION OF THE WEATHER WILL INVALIDATE YOUR EXCUSE.

Are Americans in Line for Gitmo? by Ray McGovern -- Antiwar.com

A few hundred years ago, the Inquisition was in full force. People were arrested, jailed, tortured and killed because of rumor and suspicion. Rumor and suspicion was all it took to kill thousands of people. And greed. Actual proof never came into the process.

In the 1600's here in this country (before we were a country), people were arrested, jailed indefinitely and quite a few killed based on suspicion and rumor. Again, actual proof was never on the agenda.

During World War II, thousands of people were put in camps here in the US only because they were of Japansese descent -- no crimes, no courts, no proof of wrongdoing.

I really don't understand what is going through the minds of those who we, collectively, have put in office. Because it looks like we're going down that same road.

Are Americans in Line for Gitmo? by Ray McGovern -- Antiwar.com

Why?

Unbelievable Rant on MSNBC! Reporter CRACKS & Spews TRUTH! Occupy Wall S...

Powerful:



We really do need to get the money out. In more ways than one. In the Capitol, we need to get rid of the lobbyists and the special interest groups. More than that, we need to do something about that oh-so-sweet pension our elected officials enjoy when they retire (or are fired voted out of office). Maybe then we would get people running who actually want to be part of the solution rather than being the problem. Maybe then we'll get people who are more than petty bureaucrats who want to get rich and retire on the government's dime.

The pension for Senators, Representatives and Presidents? Their entire annual salary plus that very sweet benefits package for the rest of their lives.

Apathy in America

As I watched yet another GOP presidential wannabe implode, I started thinking about how we came to this point. This point where a group of clowns in nice suits can spawn our possible next president. How can this be?  The Occupy movement is going strong, for all the attempts to shut it down. Even with the attacks on our educational system, this is still a mostly intelligent and educated society. So what's with the acceptance of these total losers as possible presidential material?

Then I got the answer: Apathy. Yup, that's right, apathy. How can that be? you ask. How can it NOT be, I say.

Too many people are living horror stories. Private, personal horror stories. They've lost their jobs, their homes, their savings, and there isn't an end in sight. All they see on the news is bad. The economy sucks, the war in the Mideast drags on, and now, on top of everything, on the horizon is a holiday that used to be a time of hope. Too many people have seen their futures destroyed along with the futures of their children. Some may have taken part in the Occupy movement in the beginning, but that doesn't put food on the table or clothes on their backs and it doesn't pay the rent.

Then they start listening to a bunch of people who are jockeying for position to become the next President of the United States. At first, they probably laugh and scoff, but then they start hearing what they want to hear: Quick, easy answers to all their problems. It doesn't matter that these "solutions" won't work. Its what they want to hear.

This is what really scares me. One of the clowns may become president because people can't afford to care any more and will vote for the one with the easy answers with no substance.